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Vance: Harris Wants $25k for Illegal Homes!

Most illegals in the U.S. can't tap into federal freebies—no Social Security number, no soup for you!

Published August 23, 2024 at 5:06am by

JD Vance

Statement: “Kamala Harris wants to give $25,000 to illegal aliens to buy American homes.”

Sen. JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick, let loose on Vice President Kamala Harris' latest proposal to ease the burden of home ownership for first-time buyers.

"Kamala Harris wants to give $25,000 to illegal aliens to buy American homes," the Ohio Republican tweeted on August 16. "This will only further exacerbate the housing shortage in our country. It's a disgrace. We should be making it easier and more affordable for American citizens to buy homes."

The Vance campaign pointed PolitiFact to Harris’ recently announced proposal that would provide up to $25,000 for first-time homebuyers to put toward a down payment on a home.

Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, debuted the plan at an Aug. 16 campaign rally. She didn’t dive into the nitty-gritty, so it’s a mystery how the policy would actually work or who could qualify for the cash. Here’s what we know:

What is Harris’ down payment assistance proposal?

In a nutshell, Harris promised down payment assistance without bothering with the details.

"As the Harris-Walz plan starts to expand the supply of entry-level homes, they will, during their first term, provide working families who have paid their rent on time for two years and are buying their first home up to $25,000 in down payment assistance, with more generous support for first-generation homeowners," the campaign said in an Aug. 16 news release.

Harris also mentioned the proposal — without much fluff about who might qualify — at the campaign rally on Aug 16 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

"We also know that as the cost of housing has gone up, the size of down payments have gone up as well," she said. "Even if aspiring homeowners save for years, it often still is not enough. So, in addition, while we work on the housing shortage, my administration will provide first-time homebuyers with $25,000 to help with the down payment on a new home."

Several news outlets called it "assistance," but The Washington Post described it as "a $25,000 credit." The Harris campaign dodged PolitiFact's questions for more detail.

In practice, what might Harris’ plan look like?

Harris’ plan builds on a similar Biden administration proposal in March. Biden called on Congress to provide as much as $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers whose parents didn't own homes. This plan is laid out in the 2024 Democratic Party Platform, which Democrats formally adopted Aug. 19 at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Under Harris’ plan, people whose parents owned homes would also qualify for assistance.

In March, Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and six Democratic co-sponsors, introduced a bill that would offer up to $20,000 in federal grants to help first-generation homebuyers with down payments and closing costs. To qualify under this bill, a person would need to be a first-time and first-generation homebuyer whose income wasn’t more than 120% of the area’s median income (or 140% of the median income if the home was in a high-cost area).

The bill was referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs on March 12, where it awaits further action. The Harris campaign didn't say if Warnock’s bill lined up with her proposal.

Why did Vance claim an immigrant in the country illegally could qualify?

The Vance campaign argued that migrants entering the U.S. illegally under the Biden-Harris administration could eventually qualify for Harris’ down payment assistance.

For example, the campaign told us that migrants awaiting asylum decisions — which could take years, given the immigration court backlog — can receive work permits and Social Security numbers.

The Social Security Administration states that "only noncitizens authorized to work in the United States by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can get an SSN."

A 2023 Congressional Research Service report notes that "unauthorized noncitizens" are not qualified for employment authorization or work-authorized Social Security numbers.

The Social Security Administration can issue Social Security numbers that are "not valid for employment" for noncitizens without work authorization from the Homeland Security Department if a federal law requires it for a benefit or service.

Most undocumented immigrants are not eligible for benefits from federal programs, which typically require Social Security numbers. Immigrants here illegally are typically ineligible for HUD programs.

PolitiFact's ruling

Vance said, "Harris wants to give $25,000 to illegal aliens to buy American homes."

Vance fills-in-the-blanks about a proposal with few details. Harris promised $25,000 in down payment assistance to "working families who have paid their rent on time for two years" who are first-time homebuyers, without specifying the details.

The Vance campaign claimed migrants could get Social Security numbers that might qualify them for assistance. Social Security numbers are generally given only to noncitizens authorized to work in the U.S.

At PolitiFact, the burden of proof falls on the speaker. With no specifics from Vance’s team that Harris’ proposal would benefit illegal immigrants, we rate his claim False.

PolitiFact Staff Writer Maria Ramirez Uribe and Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

Our sources

Read more: JD Vance falsely claims that Harris wants to give undocumented immigrants $25k for homes